Freight train hits semitrailer in City of Industry; no injuries reported

A freight train struck a semitrailer truck transporting produce in the City of Industry today, but no one was injured, officials said.

The Union Pacific train collided with the big rig’s trailer about 9:10 a.m. at the grade crossing near Valley Boulevard and Fairway Drive, just north of the 60 Freeway, said Lt. John McBride of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“The truck driver had already cleared the crossing arms on his side of the street and was waiting at Valley Boulevard to make his right-hand turn,” he said. “He probably just underestimated the length of his rig, because the truck’s trailer was still on the tracks.”

Nobody was injured in the wreck and none of the produce in the trailer spilled onto the tracks, McBride said.

“This might be one of those intersections where crossing arms should be on both side of the tracks for both directions of traffic,” he said. “That might have alerted the driver that he was on the tracks.”

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Photo: Workers clean up produce spilled after a freight train struck a semitrailer truck in the City of Industry. Credit:  Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Mel]

Why didn't the big rig driver stop before the tracks? I exit Fairway everyday from the 60, and there are big signs that say wait before a certain line, thats exactly why those signs are there so this kind of situation is avoided. Its a big sign on both sides. Besides you can't make a right turn on red on that crossing, so he violated traffic regulations.

[Hear me out...]

So, question for you:

If the truck was still on the tracks, do you think the train would have had time to stop and not hit the truck? If the big rig was stuck on the tracks and not just still sitting there for no reason, would this be the trucks fault or the trains?

(having a small debate about this, so your thoughts are welcomed)